Henry Austin -- Hank to friends -- was a former U.S. Air Force pilot, retired commercial pilot,
certified flight instructor and an aviation enthusiast in general who logged more
than 16,000 hours flying a wide variety of aircraft. Carole was his both his domestic and business partner in a variety of ventures.

The couple produced and hosted
more than 100 episodes of Flightline Television, a community-focused aviation
program. The couple opened a powered parachute business, Shelby Paraflite
School, in the late 1990s when they moved from North Muskegon to Shelby.

In addition to their powered-parachute business, the Austins
were known for their civic activism, participating in Rotary Club, the Young Eagles
youth aviation program and jazz programs at schools across the area. Hank
Austin also volunteered as a reserve Oceana County sheriff deputy for many
years, assisting with several searches for lost people and with other police
functions.

Oceana County Sheriff Robert Farber described Hank Austin as a "wonderful person."

"It tears me up," Farber said. "Hank was such a busy guy but he always found
time to help out."

He said the Austins were nearly inseparable, especially in the air.

"His wife was always with him," Farber said of Henry Austin. "Carole was
always his second set of eyes riding in the back."

Muskegon resident Jeff Zack said he first met Hank Austin about
20 years ago in a video editing room at Muskegon Community College. Zack and his wife, Nelly, went from being
acquaintances to close friends and eventually business associates with the
Austins.

Zack and Hank Austin grew especially close.

"It's not every day you meet someone you can trust and share your heart with. I
will definitely miss that in my life," Zack said. "They will be greatly missed
and they definitely had an effect on mine and Nelly's life and to know them was a
tremendous blessing for us. And I'm sure we're not the only people."

Though they had different personalities, Zack said the couple were perfect
complements to each other and were rarely seen apart, whether in an aircraft or
on their motorcycle.

"Hank was a gregarious, super friendly guy and Carole was a little more
reserved. She was his muse -- very detail oriented and maybe a bit of a guard dog
for him," he said. "They were inseparable. If one of them was going somewhere,
then the other one was going with them. Obviously they were riding together the
day that they went on to eternity together."

Visitation
will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 5 at Harris Funeral Home, 267 N.
Michigan Ave., in Shelby. A
memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Sept. 6 at Community United Methodist
Church, 1614 Ruddiman Ave in North Muskegon.